"Hahaha... The Grand Ruins are vast and boundless. If you're not careful inside, you'll either fall to the Rule Cycles or the claws of the Five Element Beasts. My skills are nothing special, so I can't claim to be the strongest survivor in the Grand Ruins." A hearty laugh echoed as a tall, strikingly handsome man with sharp features strode in from the doorway.
"Greetings, Senior Brother Chang!" The cultivators in the hall all greeted the newcomer enthusiastically.
"Brother Chang, you finally made it! I've been waiting for you so long!" The charming young woman, who had just been speaking with Morgan Leaf, hurried toward the handsome cultivator with admiration on her face.
After greeting everyone with great poise, the man approached Morgan Leaf, clasped his fists, and said, "I heard Brother Morgan just returned from the Grand Ruins. I believe your survival experience there far surpasses mine."
Morgan Leaf replied calmly, "I am not as skilled as you."
Ethan Chang was momentarily taken aback. He thought Morgan Leaf implied that Ethan was not the strongest survivor in the Grand Ruins, and perhaps Morgan had gained some special experience there. But Morgan's words made him realize his assumption was wrong.
Ethan Chang asked again, "Then may I ask, Brother Morgan, has a new powerful cultivator emerged recently—someone I am unaware of?"
Morgan Leaf remained unaffected by Ethan Chang's words and replied calmly, "I'm referring to a disciple from the Origin Dao Sect."
"Thank you, Brother Morgan, for your high regard for the Origin Dao Sect. However, I, Keen Jin, must admit that when it comes to survival in the Grand Ruins, I am far inferior to Brother Chang." Another young man in yellow robes stepped forward.
Many cultivators recognized him—he was Keen Jin, the top genius of the Origin Dao Sect in this generation, and the direct disciple of Master Yan Yun, a Hunyuan expert.
Such a genius cultivator would draw the eyes of all wherever he went. Morgan Leaf had claimed that, among cultivators of the same rank in the Origin Dao Sect, none could surpass Ethan Chang—except perhaps Keen Jin. There could not be a second.
Now, Keen Jin himself had openly admitted that he was no match for Ethan Chang within the Grand Ruins. Rather than diminishing his reputation, this only highlighted his magnanimity.
Everyone turned their attention to Morgan Leaf. In truth, Morgan was not one to flatter others. His status was at least equal to Keen Jin's, so he had no need to curry favor. Yet now, his words seemed to be flattery, only for Keen Jin to reject them outright, without a hint of politeness.
No one understood why Morgan Leaf had said such a thing; it was a thankless effort.
Morgan Leaf's expression did not change in the slightest. He replied in his usual calm tone, "I wasn't talking about you."
Keen Jin's face darkened instantly. Wasn't this a public slap in the face? If there was anyone in the Origin Dao Sect who could rival Ethan Chang of Eternity Saint City, aside from Keen Jin himself, who else could it be?
Still, Keen Jin was the top cultivator of his generation in the Origin Dao Sect. His expression quickly returned to normal, and he said coolly, "It seems I've risen in Morgan's estimation. If it's not me, then is it my fellow disciple Tusu, Junior Shao Rongqin, or Sister Ming Yueyan?"
Before Morgan Leaf could reply, a clear, graceful voice rang out, "Senior Keen, I don't think Morgan was referring to any of them. To survive in the Grand Ruins, one must at least reach the Hidden Sage Hall. Morgan, am I right?"
As the voice faded, a young woman in a pale yellow dress approached.
"Greetings, Senior Serena!"
"Saintess Serena!"
As the young woman in yellow approached, nearly everyone came forward to greet her. There was no one here who did not recognize her—Serena Yu, the Saintess of the Purelight Sect.
Serena Yu was not only the Saintess of the Purelight Sect, but also widely acknowledged as the greatest beauty of her generation.
Even Morgan Leaf, who rarely paid attention to worldly matters, was momentarily captivated by Serena Yu's beauty. Her figure seemed like the Creator's most perfect masterpiece—neither too much nor too little in any respect.
A delicate veil covered her lovely face, but even the glimpse of her eyes seemed to pierce directly into one's soul. Even the most confident person would hesitate to meet her gaze.
After greeting everyone in turn, Serena Yu bowed slightly to Morgan Leaf. "Morgan, could you tell me who that person is?"
Her meaning was clear: of the three Keen Jin had mentioned, two could not even reach the Hidden Sage Hall, so they could not be the one Morgan Leaf referred to.
Morgan Leaf finally realized her point and was about to reply when Keen Jin laughed, "Morgan, surely you don't mean someone in the second stage of Dao Forging? Even if they've reached the third layer, I doubt it's any easier for them than for us."
Everyone understood Keen Jin's implication: only those who had reached the third layer of the Grand Ruins in the second stage of Dao Forging could be compared with those who had entered the first and second layers.
Morgan Leaf glanced at Keen Jin, a sudden feeling of distaste rising within him. Were it not for his sect, he would not have come to the Hidden Sage Symposium at all. He much preferred solitary cultivation and trials to these gatherings.
Yet, seeing the anticipation in Serena Yu's eyes, he did not refuse. He answered calmly, "Saintess Serena is correct; it's not any of those people. I only know that he is a disciple of the Origin Dao Sect. As for which disciple, I can't say. But I am certain he is not in the second stage of Dao Forging."
"Could you tell me his name?" Serena Yu asked, her eyes shining with curiosity.
Serena Yu knew Morgan Leaf well; he was not one to speak carelessly. If Morgan claimed that this cultivator was more suited to survive in the Grand Ruins than Ethan Chang, it was likely true.
Morgan Leaf hesitated, then shook his head. "I consider him a friend. Without his permission, I can't reveal his name lightly."
(This chapter isn't finished yet~. Please click 'Next Page' to continue reading the exciting story!)
In truth, Morgan Leaf already regretted mentioning that Joe Di was from the Origin Dao Sect.
Everyone here was proud and arrogant, hardly caring about others. If word got out that Joe Di was stronger than Ethan Chang, it would only invite trouble for him.
Serena Yu noticed that Morgan Leaf seemed to have drawn some animosity, so she suggested, "Most people have arrived. Let's begin the symposium. Senior Chang from Eternity Saint City possesses insights into the Dao far beyond ours—why not let him start?"
With Serena Yu's words, the crowd quickly agreed. Regardless of whether Morgan Leaf's mysterious cultivator existed or not, they were here for the symposium and could not lose sight of their purpose.
...
Joe Di struggled to his feet from a dark, earthen basin, his chest soaked in blood. A deep gash ran from his shoulder to his chest, nearly severing his arm.
Ever since entering the second layer, his wounds had never truly healed.
Joe Di understood that this was not only because the Five Element Beasts in the second layer were far too powerful, but also due to his lack of experience. If he were more seasoned, he would not encounter so many formidable beasts.
Still, Joe Di did not mind. He had come here to temper himself. If there were no powerful Five Element Beasts, he would have been disappointed.
Within the Grand Ruins, his cultivation was rising rapidly at every moment, and the materials he gathered constantly increased as well.
The only regret was that, though he had spent quite some time in the second layer of the Grand Ruins, he had yet to find even half a fragment of the Law.
After resting for half a day, Joe Di rose again, continuing onward in the direction where the fragments of the world's laws were most concentrated.
Joe Di knew well that it was nearly impossible to break through to the Dao Nurturing Realm within the Grand Ruins. Without reaching Dao Nurturing, he could not enter the fourth layer. Still, he could reach the third layer.
For Joe Di, entering the third layer of the Grand Ruins meant not only searching for various Five Element Law materials, but also hoping to find a few Law fragments.